Organising a creative, adventurous and contented life

September 2013

19/09/2013

I wanted to share a wonderful message from my yoga teacher. She asked us to say the following statement to ourselves—because it was right at the end of our session it caught me delightfully by surprise.

I forgive myself for every foolish thing I’ve ever done. I go forward with a light and happy heart.

I sometimes feel like I move from one foolishness to another, so it was exactly what I needed to hear!

May you also forgive yourself and go forward with a light and happy heart.

16/09/2013

Organising is not just about our schedules and surroundings; many people also organise for the peaceful way it makes them feel. Why not extend organising to clearing mental clutter and distractions?

Here are six quick and easy ways to declutter and soothe a busy mind without even really trying.

Do something adventurous. Pick an activity with (manageable) risk, where concentrating is more important than what may happen if you don’t! Your mind will naturally focus. This is one of the reasons people climb mountains, ride motorbikes, or travel to remote places—these activities bring you into the present and concentrate your mental power. But you don’t need to choose anything too big or dramatic, just something a little out of your comfort zone.

Be in nature. Head outdoors and away from technology, crowds, and urban areas. Anything from a quiet walk in a park to an overnight hike or camp where you can immerse yourself in the natural environment (if you can extend this to a week you really give yourself time to disconnect and adjust to a natural rhythm).

Practice a skill. Pick up a new skill or practice an existing one. A new skill will engage your attention as you establish new connections in your brain. A current skill, such as playing the piano, can draw you into a meditative state.

Exercise. Physically moving burns excess hormones and toxins in your body and shifts your mental state. Exercise is a great antidote to feeling stuck, tired, or overwrought as it calms and gently energises both mind and body.

Declutter your home. Aim for empty surfaces, simple lines, and highlighting things you love by giving them space. The process of removing the unimportant from your surroundings can be as therapeutic as the result. Double benefit: clearer home, clearer mind.

02/09/2013

Paperwork is a task we can take an all-or-nothing approach to. Such as
leaving the filing until it will take hours to tackle or doing all our tax
paperwork right before our appointment with the accountant.

The secret is to set aside a small amount of time,
consistently. It allows us to keep up with our paperwork with minimal effort.
When we look back, it almost seems to have done itself.

Here’s how I used this approach to transform my paperwork sessions from
marathon to mini.

Of course, sometimes the paperwork overflows a session. I like to relax
in the evenings at a reasonable time, so unless something is urgent, I put it
off to the next allocated session (a statement can usually wait another week to
be reconciled, for example).

Larger tasks also come up (such as updating the budget or preparing a
tax return). I set aside extra time, such as a weekend morning, to tackle
these. Because my routine paperwork is (mostly) up-to-date, it means everything
needed to tackle the larger jobs is ready to go, for example, all relevant tax
paperwork has been collected in a folder throughout the year.

Setting up a system and tackling our paperwork in small, regular
sessions is a great way to stay in control. It gives us a safety net and the
confidence of knowing our bills will be paid, notes will be returned to school,
and tasks will be actioned promptly.